UCLA Football Early 2018 Schedule Preview: Stanford Cardinal

SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 01: Head coach David Shaw of the Stanford Cardinal looks on from the sidelines against the USC Trojans during the Pac-12 Football Championship game at Levi’s Stadium on December 1, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. The Trojans won the game 31-28. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Go Joe Bruin continues our early 2018 previews with a look at UCLA football’s final game of the season against an opponent that has the Bruins’ number the last ten meetings, the Stanford Cardinal.

It is our final schedule preview as Go Joe Bruin looks at UCLA football‘s final battle of the regular season and it is against a team that UCLA has not beat in the last decade. That is right, the bane of UCLA’s existence… the Stanford Cardinal.

It was 2008 in which the Bruins last defeated the Cardinal. It was Rick Neuheisel’s first year as the UCLA coach. He was going against a prideful yet still unproven Jim Harbaugh. Ten games later, including a narrow 27-24 loss in the Pac-12 Championship, the Bruins have been the whipping post for the Cardinal and it has not been fun.

It would be one thing if the Bruins would have made it close in the majority of those games, but they have lost seven of those games by 14 or more points. That is troubling.

UCLA Football Early 2018 Schedule Previews

Stanford Cardinal

Head Coach: David Shaw | Overall Record 73-22 (8th season at Stanford)

2017 Record: 9-5, 7-2 Pac-12

2017-18 Bowl Game: Alamo Bowl, loss to #13 TCU (39-37)

What: UCLA Bruins vs. Stanford Cardinal

Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

When: Saturday, Nov. 24

Luckily, there is a changing of the guard. Neuheisel has been out for a while and so is his replacement, Jim Mora. That means it is time for Chip Kelly to make a mark on the Bruins and hopefully get that “W” for the Bruins as they face Stanford.

Though it is a long shot to happen, it is not impossible. When Kelly was at Oregon, he had a 4-2 record against the Cardinal as both an offensive coordinator and head coach. But does that mean he has an advantage in 2018? Not really, as it is way too early to see that, though we will try.

Stanford’s Five-Year Win Trend

2017 – ★★★★★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 9-5
2016 – ★★★★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 10-3
2015 – ★★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆ 12-2
2014 – ★★★★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 8-5
2013 – ★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 11-3

Stanford is always a well-prepared team. Despite some early season stumbles, they always manage to bounce back and pull things together by season’s end. That does not bode well as they meet the Bruins at season’s end.

But Stanford is in transition as well. They have had a few significant things affect their program, which will affect how they perform this season. No matter, because for UCLA, regardless of who is involved with the Stanford football program, the ultimate goal is to win.